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minorities for the Kremlin while secretly working for their unification。 Sounds like my kind of guy； but I don't know。 From what Bernard says； Bondasenko genuinely hates the Russians； but then again he could be KGB。 It's happened before； I understand。 I don't personally trust any of these Russians。 Far too inscrutable。 What is it they want； anyway？ To bury the West or to make money from it？ It's tough to put your trust in a schizophrenic； but apparently that's just what Bernard's done。
''And now God help him； because we just got an emergency coded cable： something's happened in Moscow； and the situation is rapidly getting out of hand。 Bondasenko's White Star organization has sprung a serious leak。 Knowing that； I've washed my hands of Bernard as quick as you can slide a clam down your throat。 There's a dead drop we use at the Hotel Rossiya in Moscow； addressed to a Mrs。 Kubysheva。 I wouldn't use it now if you paid me fifty million yen。 I don't need any of the plications that inevitably e from trying to be a saint。 In this day and age； a saint is synonymous with a sucker。〃
Hitasura looked at her。 〃Is that it for your last request？ Can we get on with it？〃
〃Yes；〃 Tori said。
Hitasura pulled the trigger。 The explosion was loud in the booth； but amid the sound and vision of pachinko； no one noticed。 Besides； the booth's glass panels were both bullet… and soundproof。
Tori was slammed back against the glass； a hole torn in her jacket just over her heart。 She collapsed； and Hitasura was across the booth in one stride。 He stood over her； much as he had stood over Big Ezoe in the corridor of the Kaijin tea house in Shim…bashi。
He kicked Tori's thigh with the toe of his shoe； but there was no sign of movement。 He squatted； put the muzzle of his pistol against her forehead in preparation for the shot that would make certain she was dead。
At that moment Koi tore open the door to the glassed…in booth。 Hitasura； hearing her； swung the pistol in an arc toward her。
And in that instant of hesitation； Tori's right hand blurred upward； her hardened heel smashing into the base of his nose with such force it drove the cartilage in one piece back through his sinuses； into his brain cavity。
Hitasura's expression was one of dismay。 It was frozen on his face as his upper torso tumbled backward。 His head hit against the leg of one of the chairs； but he was past caring。
Koi came over to where Tori sat with her back against the glass panel。 Koi stared down into Hitasura's face； then she knelt beside Tori。
〃Are you all right？〃
〃He's dead； isn't he？〃 Tori's voice seemed far away。
〃Yes。〃
〃Another part of me gone。'' Tori closed her eyes。 Her heart was pounding furiously； and no amount of prana would slow it。 〃I didn't want to hurt him。 I never came to hate him。〃 Then she looked up into Koi's face。 〃This killing must stop。〃
Koi nodded； reached over； picked Tori up。 She put her hand beneath Tori's jacket； her blouse。 〃Wearing this Kevlar vest was a risk；〃 she said。 〃What if he'd aimed his first shot for your head？〃
Tori said； as they stepped over Hitasura's body； 〃Then that would have been me lying there。 It would be all over。〃
Tori's knees buckled； and Koi caught her。
〃Now you must repay me for helping you；〃 Koi said。 〃There is something I must do； and I fear I cannot do it alone。〃
Sengakuji。 The resting place of history's revered heroes； the splendid forty…seven ronin。 The place where Kakuei Sakata had purified his spirit； where he had regained his honor by mitting seppuku； ritual suicide。
In…ibuki； Koi's soft abdominal breathing； changed to yo…ibuki； the hard； aggressive breathing of battle and stress。 Wordlessly； she pressed the translations of Sakata's ledgers into Tori's hands； then knelt on the carpet of grass。
Among the gaily waving flowers her white garb stood out starkly。 She hoped that this one spot of purity among the vibrant colors would remain in Tori's memory as it had in hers from the day of Sakata…san's death。 She could still remember the wind whipping his loose white leggings； the glare of sunlight on his blade at the instant before he reversed it； plunging it into his lower belly。
Tori bent down； closed her hand over Koi's where it clasped the short killing sword。 〃Don't do this；〃 she said urgently。 〃I beg you to reconsider。 There are alternatives。〃
〃For you； perhaps；〃 Koi said； 〃but not for me。 I see now that I have trod too long and too heavily down one path。''
''But you have a friend now；'' Tori said。 ''Your life is already changing。〃
But Koi was already shaking her head。 〃An illusion。 A pleasant one； I've no doubt you think； but also a treacherous one； for no matter how much I may fight against the violence inside me； it will overtake me。 If not today； then tomorrow or the day after。 My spirit is unclean。 It longs to be purified。〃
She turned her head toward Tori； and Tori could see the tears in her eyes。
〃Oh； my dear；〃 Tori whispered。
The tears ran。 〃It's not me I think of now； but others I no longer wish to harm。 You。〃
With that； Koi plunged the blade to the hilt into herself。
〃Koi！〃
Koi's lips rounded and a tiny 〃Oh！〃 escaped her bloodless lips。 She drew her elbows in。 Her whole body was shaking。 With an effort that Tori found unimaginable； she dragged the buried blade from left to right； cutting herself open。
The stench was appalling。 Steam came from her； like a mist over spectral fields。 She slumped over the buried blade； her bloodied； white…knuckled fists。 Blood crawled down her thighs； soaking into the grass。
〃It grows dark；〃 Koi whispered。 〃Don't go。〃
〃I'm here；〃 Tori said。 Despair and helplessness mingled inside her。 In her mouth was the nauseating taste of fresh blood。
〃It grows darker still。 But the mountains 。。。 the mountains are alive 。 。 。 with light。〃
Death came to Koi like a cloud obscuring the moon； a film covering her staring eyes； seeing their mysterious mountains； alive with a light only she could see。
It took a long time to fill Russell in； but after what had happened in the pachinko parlor； it was no longer in Tori's interest to remain in Tokyo； so Tori locked herself in with him in the main cabin of their 727 and； as the jet took off； went over everything she had been told and had discovered a step at a time。
She told him about the coalition of Michita； Yen； and Hitasura that Bernard had created。 She told him about Hitasura having Ariel Solares murdered because Ariel； like Tom Royce before him； had begun his own investigation of the clandestine affairs within the clandestine affairs of Mall Central。 She even detailed her own unwitting role in playing watchdog to Hitasura and in helping Bernard e up with Kunio Michita； a far better and more powerful business partner than Tok Murashito had been。
It was good for her to have to explain everything to someone else。 She had had so many shocks in so short a time； she needed to talk about these things out loud in order to make sense of them。 Still； it surprised her how calmly Russell took the revelations。
〃You were right on target with Bernard；〃 Tori said。 〃It tears me apart to think how he used both of us。 How I hate him now。〃
Russell was quiet for some time。